Patent Application
20250220104
The present invention is in the technical field of telephony and pertains more particularly to a system and method for initiating a call by a user from a cell phone contact list and implementing the call with the user on a different communication device, such as landline phone.
The technology of placing calls from a cell phone through a cell network to either a landline phone or another cell phone is well-known in the art. Typically a user (caller) may select a recipient from a contact list stored on the user's cell phone, and the call will be implemented through the user's cellular network to a communication device associated with the recipient. If and when the recipient answers the caller and the recipient may converse.
Use of a server to place a call to a plurality of end points is also known in the art as witnessed by U.S. Pat. No. 9,578,178 to the applicant of the instant application as inventor. It is also known in the art that voice quality and volume may generally be better on a landline device through a land line than on a cellular phone through a cell network. A user with a cell phone may have reasons as well for completing the call with a communication device other than a landline telephone, such as a different cell phone or a pad device, or any other communication device.
What is clearly needed is a system enabling a first user (caller) to place a call to a destination number from a number in the contact list in the user's cellular telephone and completing the call with the first user on a different locally accessible device, such as a landline telephone or any other accessible communication device.
In an embodiment of the invention a telephony system is provided, comprising a primary digital communication device associated with a caller, and executing a mobile application, a digital communication device accessible to the user other than the primary digital communication device, and a near-field wireless network coupling the primary digital communication device and the digital communication device other than the primary digital communication device. The caller, logged into the mobile application, selects a contact from a contact list in the primary digital communication device, and the mobile application, through the near-field wireless connection, causes the digital communication device other than the primary digital communication device to place the call.
In one embodiment the primary digital communication device is a smartphone. Also, in one embodiment the caller has more than one accessible digital communication device other than the primary digital communication device coupled to the primary digital communication device on the near-field wireless network and the caller is enabled by the mobile app to select a device to place the call. In one embodiment the caller is enabled by the mobile application to select or enter a caller ID to be displayed to the recipient of the call. And in one embodiment the near-field wireless network is a Bluetooth™ network.
In one embodiment the digital communication device other than the primary digital communication device is not coupled to the near field wireless network, and the primary digital communication device sends a request through a cellular network and a cellular base station to an Internet connected server to implement the call, and the Internet-connected server places a first call to the communication device other than the primary digital communication device, a second call to the recipient, and connects the first and the second call, enabling the caller to converse with the recipient on the digital communication device other than the primary digital communication device. Also, in one embodiment the digital communication device accessible to the user other than the primary digital communication device is a landline telephone connected to a landline telephone exchange, and the call is placed by the landline telephone through the landline exchange. In one embodiment the digital communication device other than the primary digital communication device is a pad device connected to the Internet network by a WiFi network and adapted for Voice Over IP (VOIP), also coupled to the primary digital communication device on the near-field wireless network, and the mobile application causes the pad device to place the call. And in one embodiment the digital communication device other than the primary digital communication device is a laptop or a desktop computer connected through an ISP to the Internet, the computer having a telephony application and enabled for VoIP, the computer also coupled to the cellular telephone on the near-field wireless network, and the mobile application causes the laptop or the desktop computer to place the call.
In another aspect of the invention a telephony method is provided, comprising selecting a contact from a contact list in a primary digital communication device executing a mobile application, and causing a digital communication device accessible to the caller other than the primary digital communication device and coupled to the primary digital communication device on a near-field network, by instruction from the mobile application, to place a call to the number of the contact selected.
In one embodiment of the method the primary digital communication device is a smartphone, comprising causing a digital communication device accessible to the caller other than the smartphone and coupled to the smartphone on a near-field network, by instruction from the mobile application, to place a call to the number of the contact selected. Also, in one embodiment the caller has more than one accessible digital communication device other than the primary digital communication device coupled to the primary digital communication device on the near-field wireless network, comprising the caller selecting a device through display by the mobile application to place the call. Also, in one embodiment the method comprises the caller selecting a caller ID to be displayed to the recipient of the call. In one embodiment the method comprises enabling the near-field wireless network as a Bluetooth™ network.
In one embodiment of the method the digital communication device other than the primary digital communication device is not coupled to the near field wireless network, comprising the primary digital communication device sending a request through a cellular network and a cellular base station to an Internet connected server to implement the call, and the Internet-connected server placing a first call to the communication device other than the primary digital communication device, a second call to the recipient, and connecting the first and the second call, enabling the caller to converse with the recipient on the digital communication device other than the primary digital communication device. Also, in one embodiment the digital communication device accessible to the user other than the primary digital communication device is a landline telephone connected to a landline telephone exchange, comprising placing the call by the landline telephone through the landline exchange. In one embodiment the digital communication device other than the primary digital communication device is a pad device connected to the Internet network by a WiFi network and adapted for Voice Over IP (VOIP), also coupled to the primary digital communication device on the near-field wireless network, comprising the mobile application causing the pad device to place the call. And in one embodiment the digital communication device other than the primary digital communication device is a laptop or a desktop computer connected through an ISP to the Internet, the computer having a telephony application and enabled for VoIP, the computer also coupled to the primary digital communication device on the near-field wireless network, comprising the mobile application causing the laptop or the desktop computer to place the call.
It is well known in the art that most individuals and employees in businesses have access to more than one communication device, such a smartphone. An individual in a conventional residence may, for example, have a smartphone with a contact list that may enable the individual to select a recipient for an outgoing call, and to place the call from the smartphone. The same individual may also have a pad device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a desktop computer, a laptop computer, and one or more landline telephones connected to a landline exchange. Different individuals may well have a different mixture of digital devices that may be capable of hosting voice communication with a recipient of a call.
Typically, it is only the smartphone that has a contact list and the ability to select a recipient from the contact list to initiate an outgoing call. The present inventor has determined that there may be good reasons for an individual with a smartphone and access to other digital communication devices to desire the convenience of selecting a recipient from the contact list but implementing the call through a different accessible communication device. It is well-known, for example, that voice quality and volume is generally better on a landline device through a land line connection than on a cellular phone through a cell network. There may also be a variety of other reasons for completing a call through a different communication device than the caller's cell phone which may be leveraged to select a recipient for a call from a contact list.
In an embodiment of the invention the caller's accessible devices are coupled wirelessly through a wireless network represented by line 107. In one embodiment one or both of landline telephones 106a and 106b may be enabled for wireless coupling through network 107 and may be enabled to be leveraged by device 100a, which may be a smartphone, executing mobile application 110 to place a call to a recipient selected from a contact list in the smartphone.
Calls from the caller's primary devices 100a or 100b are typically placed wirelessly through a cellular network to a cellular base station 109 hosted by a cellular enterprise such as Verizon™ for example. Base station 109 may place calls through the cellular network to cellular telephones 112-1 through 112-n. Base station 109 is also connected to the well-known Internet network represented by line 108. Base station 109 may also represent different cellular base stations perhaps hosted by other cellular enterprises.
In an embodiment of the invention all of the caller's devices are shown to be coupled wirelessly through network 107, which may be a well-known Bluetooth™ network, but may also be another near-field or far-field wireless protocol. All the devices may also be coupled by a WiFi network through Internet service providers (ISPs) (not shown) to the well-known Internet network represented by lines 108. Lines 108 represent all of the networks, subnetworks and connections in the Internet network.
Telephones 106a and 106b are connected through conventional telephone lines to a telephone exchange 114 through which landline calls may be placed and conducted to a plurality of landline telephones 115-1 through 115-n.
An Internet-connected server 113 is accessible over the Internet connection 108 by individual ones of the caller's accessible devices and may be leveraged to place calls to such as pad devices 118, laptop computers 119 and desktop computers 120. Server 113 executing software 116 may also access telephone exchange 114 and place calls back to one of the caller's accessible landline telephones 106a or 106b. For a pad device to make calls the device must either have a SIM card and cellular capability to make calls over a cellular network or must be enabled for Voice Over IP (VOIP) and be connected to the Internet network. To use a laptop or a desktop computer to place calls, the computer must be connected to the Internet network and must be enabled for VOIP with an app to manage calls.
Also illustrated in
In embodiments of the invention a caller, having a desire to place a call to a recipient listed in a contact list of the caller's smartphone, logs into mobile app 110 on primary device 100a or mobile app 111 on primary device 100b, or the mobile app may be executing in the background. The caller selects a recipient in the contact list. See
The operation under different circumstances is best explained by a following set of examples:
Example 1: Caller wants to make the call from the caller's accessible Landline telephone 106a, which is coupled to primary device 100a on Bluetooth network 107 and is enabled to place calls initiated by SW 110.
There are several other possible circumstances, and with understanding of the above examples the skilled person will understand how calls may completed between any one of the caller's accessible devices, a recipient's landline phone or cell phone, or even a recipient's pad device, laptop, or desktop computer.
A skilled person will understand that the descriptions of embodiments in this specification are all exemplary and are not limiting to the scope of the invention. The scope is limited only by the claims that follow.
